Plaid Cymru AM Leanne Wood has been told by the First Minister that a final decision on budget cuts is expected to be made next month.
Following this week’s announcement by Chancellor George Osbourne, the Welsh budget is set to be slashed by £162.5 million this year. The Welsh Assembly Government has been given the option of deferring the cuts until next year only to suffer a double dose of budgetary constraints.
During questions to Carwyn Jones in the Senedd this week, Ms Wood said: “The scope of the cuts that need to be implemented in Wales under the Con-Dem coalition Government has now been outlined to us.
“Despite pre-election assurances from both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives that they would fight to protect the Welsh budget, we are now looking down the barrel of a gun in £162.5 million in cuts.
“If that is what being protected means, I dread to think what havoc will be wreaked on us in terms of the Welsh Assembly Government budget in future years under that administration.
“Have you had an opportunity yet to work out the implications of these savage cuts on public sector jobs in Wales? Have you had an opportunity yet to work out what further savings can be made to meet this £162.5 million cut that has been identified?”
The First Minister replied: “There are too many questions that are yet unanswered. We know the global figure. For example, we do not know the split between the revenue and capital.
“I suspect that much of the detail will be filled in after the budget next month. Once we have more detail, we will then have to decide whether we defer all or part of this year’s in-year cuts until next year, what the scope would be for that, and what the effects of that would be on the Welsh economy and the Welsh public sector, which so many people rely on.
“Until we get that further information, it will be difficult to take a final view. We will take a final view next month.”
